AN:Sorry I didn't get to update yesterday, very busy. I won't keep you waiting with my babbling so here is chapter seven!
Disclaimer: I've been forgetting to put these...
Katara's Cinderella Story
Chapter Seven: Searching for You
Zuko was up long before the sun. Today, that isn't what gave him power - he had to find her.
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"Are you sure about this Katara?"
"Sokka, I'm positive. I'm not making any stupid mistakes this time."
"You never did tell me what happened."
Katara looked away from her brother. She just couldn't tell him she had been off having a good, no wonderful, time with the Fire Nation prince when she was supposed to be saving her best friend.
"I will later." She lied.
She had on the red and black shirt Sokka had gotten her at the first market. She strapped her waterskin to her belt and stood up.
Today she would waterbend. Today she would save Aang.
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The capitol city of Sozun was in complete disorder. Everyone was looking for, or pretending to be, the girl Zuko was with. But Zuko knew better. All he had to do was look into their eyes to tell it wasn't her. None of them had blue eyes...
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The disorder of the capitol actually proved useful to Katara and Sokka. They were able to slip into one of the palace windows undetected.
They dashed through the shadows the early sunrise provided. Finally they came to the stone staircase. The one that led to the dungeons. Their plan was simple, and it worked each and every time - Katara would slip behind a guard while Sokka had him distracted, water whip him, and Sokka would knock them out with his boomerang.
Katara peeked around the corner. Large metal doors, guarded by at least five men.
"That has to be it." Katara whispered to her brother. Sokka nodded.
Katara splashed some water in the coridor in front of the guards as Sokka grunted in mock pain. Just as they had planned, one of the guards came to inspect. As they took him down, two more came. One of the two remaining guards grabbed a horn off of the wall, but Sokka threw his boomerang directly through it. Surprised, the guard dropped the horn, only to be beaten to unconsiousness by waterwhips.
"This the Avatar's cell?" Sokka jerked his head to the doors as he spoke to the remaining guard.
The man nodded. Katara held her water at the ready as Sokka retrieved his boomerang.
"Terribly sorry." Sokka said with sarcasm as he knocked the man unconsious. Katara grabbed the keys off him and unlocked the doors to Aang's cell.
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Aang had heard the door open, and as he looked up his eyes widened with surprise.
"Katara?"
"Shh." She put her finger to her lips.
Sokka was able to saw through the chains with his boomerang, and Aang collapsed to the ground. Sokka quickly picked him up and with Katara leading the way, they made their way out of the dungeons.
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"How - ?" Aang asked weakly.
"Everything is chaos. They're looking for some girl who was at the ball last night." Sokka explained.
Katara looked away from them. Aang was still too weak from his days in the cell to notice, but Sokka did. Realization suddenly dawned upon him.
"The girl was you!" Sokka said with his mouth agape. "They found out who you were and now they're looking for you!"
Katara couldn't help but give her brother a small smile.
"Everyone in Sozun is looking for a girl, and you don't even know why?"
"So... They don't know who you are? Then why are they looking for you?"
Katara's smile disappeared. Aang sat and listened quietly.
"The guards," He began. "Were talking about a beautiful girl that everyone had seen Prince Zuko with. They said he didn't even sleep last night because he wanted to find her so badly."
Katara closed her eyes and sighed. She nodded slowly.
"Wait, so let me get this straight," Sokka looked at his sister with a mix of worry and slight anger. "The whole time yo were at that ball, all you did was spend 'quality time' with Zuko?"
Katara didn't answer for a long time.
"He's different than you think." She whispered.
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A guard wakled down into the dungeons. He stopped suddenly. A body. He ran. Another and another and another. He reached the Avatar's cell. All five men were unconsious, the cell door was wide open, and the Avatar was no where to be seen. He picked the horn up off the ground and blew into it with all his might.
"The Avatar has escaped! The Avatar has escaped!" He yelled as he ran through the palace.
The guard finally reached the dining room where the royal family and important officals were all having breakfast. He burst through the doors exausted and out of breath.
"The - Avatar - has - escaped!" He gasped out.
"What!"
Zuko was on his feet and sprinting down the halls, everyone else close behind him. He stopped at each unconsious body to check for a pulse, until he reached what was once the Avatar's cell. He knelt down to inspect the horn. A large slit. He also inspected the area where the guards now lay. Water was everywhere.
He stood with clenched fists and gritted teeth.
"Zuko?" His mother could see that he was quite angry.
Zuko let out a cry of frustration and the coridor became boiling hot as flames licked every corner. He pushed past the surprized people and stomped out of the room screaming: "I can't believe they were actually stupid enough to attempt a rescue!"
Everyone ran after the angry prince. Zula grabbed her brother's shoulder and spun him around.
"Who?" She said coldly, which only provoked Zuko's anger further.
"His friends!" He shouted. "The waterbender and her bumbling brother!"
The waterbender...
"We will rally a search party immediatly." The Fire Lord assured everyone.
"No need." Zuko had regained his cool. "They can't be too far and the Avatar is still weak. I will bring them back here myself."
With that Zuko left them all behind, and went immediatly to the forest.
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"Eat this Aang, it'll help you feel bettter." Katara handed the boy some bread and soup.
Sokka was packing up all of they're supplies while Aang tried to rest and Katara did what ever she could think of. She had her waterskin and her own bag beside her. The bag that held the kimono and mask, along with other things.
Appa gave out a long, loud groan. He was hungry too.
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Zuko had heard it. He knew he had. The bison. He was silent as he moved swiftly throught the trees. There they were. He emerged calmly from the trees with his arms crossed.
All eyes widened in shock. Aang backed up a bit, Sokka jumped down from Appa, and Katara... just sat there. She wasn't even looking at Zuko.
"Katara in case you haven't noticed, Zuko is in our campsite!" Sokka shouted.
"Yes, I noticed." She said quietly.
Zuko still had his arms crossed, he had a look that said 'I could honestly care less' on his face. Not when he looked at Katara. His arms lowered. She felt his gaze on her and worked up the courage to look up at him. His eyes held shock, and yet relief.
"Hand me your bag." He said to Katara.
She did as he said. He opened it and took out the kimono and mask. He studied them before he put them back in and dropped the bag.
"It is you." He said quietly. Then his expression hardened. "So was it all just pretend?" He nearly shouted. "Was it all just your plan to get back the Avatar?"
Katara close her eyes and looked away. She wouldn't cry. Not in front of Zuko.
"No." She all but whispered as she shook her head. "No it wasn't."
"Look me in the eye and tell me that."
She looked up into his eyes, although her vision was clouded with unshed tears.
"No, it wasn't pretend."
"Then why did you leave?" His voice was softer now. "Why did you leave me?"
"I - I -" Katara struggled to hold them back.
"I believe that was my doing." Sokka straightened from his battle stance. "I told her to be back by midnight. Sorry if that interfeared with something." Katara could tell Sokka was just trying to be nice, and that he didn't truly mean the last sentence.
Zuko walked over to Katara, and gently helped to her feet.
"It's alright to cry." He said softly.
Katara stood there in Zuko's arms, and let the tears fall. One by one. But they weren't tears of sadness, but of happiness, and she couldn't help but smile.
He still cares for me! He knows who I am and he still cares for me!
Sokka stayed quiet, not wanting to ruin the moment for his sister. Too bad Aang wasn't so perceptive.
"What is going on?" He said a little too loudly.
Everyone smiled. That is, until they heard the voice in the trees.
"Yes, Prince Zuko, what is going on?"
AN: Lol! Cliffie! And guess what? You guys have to wait until next weekend to find out who it is! Bad me. Hope you guys loved this chapter. If the part where Sokka and Katara were rescuing Aang sounded familiar, good, it should have. Thanks for all the reviews!
Until next I update...